I Am the Night
by Tron45
Summary: For almost twenty years, the earth has been shared with the Vixens; a race of fox-like beings not unlike humans in physiology. While they are citizens, there are still many of those who do not appreciate their kind. When Vixens begin to die mysteriously of tuberculosis in Gotham City, who will rise up to help them? After more than twenty years, the Dark Knight will rise again.
1. A Night in Gotham

Sorry that I've been silent for a while. I've been working on a couple of different stories, and I try to complete them before I post them so I don't leave you guy's hanging. This one is almost complete, but it's still got a couple of chapters to go, so you might end up waiting a little bit for the end, but it shouldn't last too long. Some of you might notice that the concept of the Vixens and the name Carmelita are used in the Sly Cooper video games for the character Carmelita Fox, but that this story hasn't been labeled as a crossover. That's because it's not meant to be, I just borrowed the name and concept of that particular character for the basis of my entire species, and I thought the name fit. Just to make sure nobody comes after me, though-

Disclaimer: I do not own Sly Cooper or Batman/Justice League. I might have borrowed names from Sly Cooper, but the characters are all my own. Daniel Wayne is also my own character, so no taking him without permission. The eventual protagonist, which you will not meet for a while, but I need to mention, is also my own character, though in all fairness, I did create him with the help of ThePizzadude93. Reviews are greatly appreciated, I very much like to hear what you guys think of my writing. Thank you.

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The dark alleyways opened up on either side of her like black holes that wanted to swallow her up. The dim street-lamps did little to dispel the darkness that covered Gotham's slums. One might think that since Carmelita was an anthropomorphic fox, she wouldn't be afraid of the dark. It's not that darkness itself scared her, but when you live in Gotham, you learn very quickly to fear what might lurk in the shadows-especially if you're a Vixen.

She continued her quick pace to the apartment she shared with her two parents and younger brother, hoping that she would be able to get there without incident, but she was not so fortunate.

No more than three blocks from the apartment building, half a dozen men in dark clothes stepped out of the alleyway, blocking her path. "You're in the wrong neighborhood, fox," one of them said. Carmelita couldn't do anything but stand, frozen. "Me and my boys ain't too fond of you and your kind. But... I'm a reasonable man. For a small fee, we'll let you pass, unharmed."

"I don't have any money," Carmelita managed to squeak out.

The man shook his shaved head. "Well, you see, that's a problem. If we let you pass for free, then other foxes might get the idea that they can pass for free too. We can't have that. But, like I said, I'm a reasonable man. If you can't pay cash, maybe we can arrange a different form of payment." Carmelita saw the look in the man's eyes and immediately knew what he had in mind, and she wouldn't have any part of it. Looking around, she tried to spy a way out of the situation, but all six men had surrounded her. For all intents and purposes, it was hopeless.

Her breath became ragged, her heart pounded in her chest, and her palms began to sweat. Carmelita wanted to try to scream, but no sound came out of her throat.

One of the men snatched her backpack while another grabbed her long blue-black hair, jerking her head back in the process. The same man thread his arm through both of hers, pinning her back against him before he covered her mouth with his rough hand.

She looked at the leader, the man with the shaved head, her eyes as wide as golf balls as she saw him stalk towards her. His intentions were evident, and they were not pretty. Even though her mouth was covered and no sound escaped her throat, save her muffled screams, she mentally cried out for anyone to come and save her. But then again, she lived in Gotham. Nobody really cared anymore, especially if you were a Vixen.

Strangely, a bat flew between her and the leader. That single bat was followed shortly after by another bat. Then another, and another. One or two bats flying through Gotham at once was common enough, but when almost a dozen fly through a single street in less than a minute, that is odd.

The air suddenly exploded in a frenzy of screeching bats flying around Carmelita and the man that held her. The man started crying out in pain as the bats bit and slashed at him with their claws. He let go of Carmelita, only to fall backwards through the swarm and land on his back. The bats ignored him, continuing to circle Carmelita. They didn't come near enough to touch her, though. There was roughly a two foot radius between her and the nearest bat.

Outside her cocoon of leathery wings and furry bodies, Carmelita heard the men from the alley screaming at something. Her ears twitched as she heard a sound like wind whipping at a cloth-almost like a parachute. She heard two heavy boots land on the concrete, and fists colliding with flesh outside the circle of bats. She couldn't see past them; they were too densely packed. She heard what sounded like compressed air being released and the whine of a small motor, but she couldn't be sure. As suddenly as they appeared, the bats dissipated, flying off to reveal five of the six men on the ground unconscious. She saw the leader running off away from her, only to have his foot snatched, presumably by a cable of some kind.

As the man was hoisted screaming into the air by his foot, she ran towards her apartment building. She paused as she reached the front steps, trying to listen to what was going on on the roof. Tilting her head, she strained her sensitive ears to their limit, but try as she might, she couldn't make out any exact words. All she could hear was the man screaming at someone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that her backpack was resting on the concrete outside the door with a package on top. Despite the adrenaline in her system, Carmelita slowly walked up the steps and picked up the package to open it. The contents of the package made her jaw drop. It was several bound stacks of hundred dollar bills, with a typed note that read ^Quit your job, stay in school, and follow your dream.^ There was no signature, but whoever it was was a god-send. The money would let her family stay in their apartment for several months, without fear of eviction.

Carmelita heard another scream, and looked up to see that the man from earlier was dropping at a fast rate towards the ground, only to stop suddenly when his head was just a few inches above the ground. The cable released, and the man dropped to his back with a heavy thud. Scrambling to his feet, his eyes met Carmelita's. She didn't know what happened to him, but he turned and ran from her as fast as his legs could carry him.

Looking up to the black sky, she saw no sign of her rescuer, but she knew he was up there. "Thank you," she said before putting the money in her bag and hurrying inside the apartment building.


	2. A Silent Guardian

Daniel sat crouched atop the corner edge of one of the brick buildings in Gotham's slums, the shadows shrouding him in a protective cloak. Nobody could see him, not when he was in his element: darkness. The shadows protected him from the eyes of the beautiful vixen walking the streets.

Her ears were good, but Daniel's were better. He could hear every breath she took, every beat of her heart And he could hear the footsteps of the men that approached her from the alley way. He heard their threats, and he knew where their actions would lead. Tapping his ear, Daniel sent a signal through an earpiece he wore. There was a large number of bats spread throughout the area. They didn't normally come together, but they would come if he told them to.

"Come to me," he whispered. "Come to me, and help me save her." He could hear the bats' compliance with his wishes.

"We're coming," they seemed to say back to him. Daniel smiled in satisfaction and looked down to the street again. The men had encircled Carmelita and were beginning to make threats. That simply wouldn't do. The first bat flew by. Then the next. Soon, there was a full swarm of bats circling Carmelita. Bats may be relatively easy to kill in general, but when a swarm of them begins to circle someone at high speeds, they don't have much to worry about. The fear they spread is enough to keep them alive. And fear was exactly what Daniel wanted to spread at that moment.

Grabbing the edges of his cape, Daniel leaped down from the roof he was on. His cape billowed out and became rigid like a parachute in the form of a bat's wings. It slowed his decent enough to make it non-lethal, but not so much that his entrance was anything but dramatic. His boots slapped the concrete, making every man's head snap up. Daniel stood up, his face calm and collected behind the full face mask he wore. The scared faces of the punks that surrounded Carmelita brought a slight grin to his face. Fear was exactly what he wanted them to feel, and fear was exactly what they would feel.

One of them was stupid enough to take a swing at him. He easily blocked and threw his own punch to the face that knocked the man out cold. Within a few moments, four of the other men were unconscious as well. The last one, the ring leader, had turned and run the other way. It wouldn't make any difference. Daniel pulled a grapple gun from his belt and fired it at the roof of the building, but not before grabbing Carmelita's backpack. He had a plan for that. Zipping up to the top of the building, Daniel raced across it and onto the roofs of the other buildings, Carmelita's bag in hand. Deactivating his earpiece, Daniel gave the bats the order to dissipate and go back to their normal lives.

The man kept running away, but Daniel overtook him, firing a cable down at the man's foot. The man shot straight up into the air until Daniel stopped him when he was level with the roof of the building he was next to. He hung there, suspended fifty feet in the air by the metal wire that held his ankle.

"Don't kill, me, man," he begged. "Please don't kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you" Daniel replied. Through his mask though, it didn't sound like his voice. It was colder than normal, and it inspired fear in the hearts of those who heard it. "I'm not going to kill you at all. I want you to do me a favor."

"Anything, man! Just don't kill me!"

Daniel ignored the man's desperate plea, Daniel growled, "I want you to tell all the punks in this neighborhood that if they so much as touch Carmelita Fox or her family that I will hear about it, and they will have to answer to me. Make sure they know that what happened to you and your friends tonight was me showing mercy, and if it happens again, I will not be nearly as merciful. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it!"

"Good." Daniel lowered the backpack down to the front porch of Carmelita's apartment building where she would find it with a package he had prepared for her. "That is all."

Daniel released the cable that held the man's foot, causing him to drop, screaming. At the last second, he stopped the man's fall, but he did let go to drop him the last few inches. Daniel watched in satisfaction as the man ran away from Carmelita as fast as he could. Looking down, Daniel saw that Carmelita had gotten his package. He could hear her breath and her heartbeat again. They were still somewhat erratic-as was to be expected after what she had just gone through-but they were both slowing to a more normal pace.

Carmelita looked up, and even though she couldn't see him, he saw her, and it nearly made his heart stop. Her sapphire blue eyes seemed to bore into the chocolate brown ones that laid behind the red lenses of his mask. "Thank you," he heard her say before she went inside.

"You're welcome, querera," he whispered as he pulled out his grapple. Firing it at a nearby stone gargoyle, Daniel leaped off the building he stood on and swung away towards home.


	3. A Love Not Normal

Gotham High School was a public high school at the center of the city. It was one of two major high schools in the city, and it happened to be the one that Carmelita attended. The events of the previous night had shaken her up to be sure, but after a good night's sleep, she was well enough to go to school. She was sitting down in the cafeteria, eating the french fries that came with the school lunch when two hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who," a masculine voice asked.

"Tom Hiddleston," she replied with a giggle.

"Oh, now that just hurts." The hands removed themselves from Carmelita's eyes and the owner walked around the table to sit across from her.

"Don't be silly, Daniel," she said, smiling. "I was just giving you a bad time."

Daniel smiled back at her. "I know. Tom would have to work twice as hard to be half the man that I am."

"You seem pretty sure of yourself, Mr. Wayne." Carmelita narrowed her eyes at Daniel. "What makes you so sure that he would."

"Well let's see." Daniel leaned forward and began to count off with his fingers. "My net worth is three times his, I fluently speak more than a dozen languages that aren't english, and, oh yeah, I'm one of the biggest pro-integration pushers out there. Need I go on?"

Carmelita just laughed. "Ok, you win." She looked back at him. "I love you."

Daniel picked up his lunch tray and moved next to her, taking her hand. "I love you too." Carmelita still couldn't believe that Daniel, a full human, was in love with her, a Vixen. It's not that it was illegal or anything, but it was strange. Ever since the Vixen race had escaped the destruction of their own world and requested asylum on earth, there had been an underlying prejudice against them. The President officially declared that Vixens were citizens, but a majority of humans weren't altogether happy with that.

Carmelita scooted closer and nuzzled her cheek against Daniel's. They had both resolved to save their first kisses for the wedding altar, but there were times that Carmelita felt hand holding wasn't enough to show how much she loved Daniel. So, she would nuzzle her cheek to his. It was a sign of affection amongst her people, sort of like a kiss on the cheek, but it was reserved for when a Vixen felt strong attachment to another. She definitely felt that with Daniel. She felt him wrap his arm around her shoulders and give her a squeeze.

Carmelita would have been content to stay in that position forever, but she had to finish eating. She pulled away and started to eat her lunch again, which prompted Daniel to do the same. "You ok," he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Better than fine, actually. I got to quit my job today."

Daniel looked confused. "I thought you needed that job."

"I did, but last night, somebody gave me this huge stack of money and told me to stay in school."

"Who gave you money?"

"I don't know. Whoever it was just left it for me."

"How much was it?"

"About five thousand dollars."

Daniel about choked on a french fry. "I've been saying that I can cut you a check for twice that ever since we met, but somebody drops five grand off without a name and you take it? What's up with that?"

"Daniel, I've told you so many times how sweet I think you are for offering, but it just didn't feel right. I know that you have a lot of money, but I just couldn't take that from my boyfriend."

"But an anonymous face you'll take it from?" Daniel asked with a chuckle.

"I guess. I just don't mind it when I don't have a face to put it to. I hope you don't mind that much."

"No, I guess I don't. I just want you to be happy." Daniel put a hand on top of hers. "Speaking of which, I'm sure that it will make you happy that I got us reservations at the new French restaurant downtown."

"Really!?" Carmelita had accidentally shouted that and looked around sheepishly at the eyes that were suddenly staring at her. "Really?" she repeated quieter this time.

Daniel nodded his head. "Yep. Tonight."

"Tonight? But that place is nice, and I don't have a dress or anything." Carmelita was concerned that Daniel hadn't taken that into consideration.

"Well that's just fine because there's a store with very nice dresses just a few blocks from here. We'll go together after school and I can buy you one."

"Daniel, you don't have to buy me a dress."

"I know I don't need to, but I want to. Please don't argue with me on this, Carmelita."

Carmelita couldn't help but smile at her boyfriend. "Fine. You win, Daniel."

Daniel smiled. "I know. After we buy that dress, I'll pick you up at about six for our reservations. Deal?"

"Deal." Carmelita dipped a french fry in ketchup and put it in front of Daniel's face. He quickly bit off the end with the ketchup on it before giving Carmelita a kiss on her cheek. Carmelita couldn't help but nuzzle her cheek to his once more. Oh, how she loved Daniel. When they had first met, it was a lab project in biology class during their freshman year of high school. Everybody was pairing up with friends, but nobody came near Carmelita. Nobody except Daniel Wayne-one of the most clever kids in the school. He was smart, saw solutions to problems that nobody else seemed to see, and he was pretty good looking to boot.

He walked straight up to Carmelita, sat down and introduced himself, saying that he wanted to work with her. The whole time they worked in class, he never once spoke meanly to her, he never said that she was brainless or insulted her intelligence-even when she did completely mess up the experiment, which caused them to have to start from the beginning. He just looked at her, smiled, and reassured her that it was OK. She was in the class to learn after all.

After that, the two became permanent lab partners, and eventually, a couple. The paparazzi had a field day with that since Daniel was the son of billionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne. They had cooled down after a while, but there were times that Carmelita would see her face on the cover of the tabloids. One time, they accused her of putting Daniel underneath some Vixen love charm or something like that. Daniel had sued the daylights out of them. By the time the lawsuit was over, they had to beg Daniel not to sign the papers that would put them out of business. He ended up making them formally apologize to Carmelita both in person and in an issue of the magazine. Carmelita smiled at the memory. Daniel was just too good for her.

The bell for the next class rang, snapping the Vixen from her reverie. Quickly chomping down on the rest of her food, she hurried to her next class, anxiously counting the minutes until her date with Daniel.


	4. A Date With a Wayne

Daniel Wayne stepped out of the black limousine, straightening the cuffs of his tuxedo before reaching back in to help his date for the evening out. Carmelita looked absolutely stunning. Her glittery blue evening gown matched her eyes almost perfectly, and accentuated the reddish-brown quality of her fur. Giving her a quick peck on the cheek, Daniel offered her his left arm, which she took, and the two gave smiling faces to the cameras that flashed in front of them. Daniel had grown used to them at an early age, but he hated how they always put Carmelita on the spot. He couldn't have cared less what people thought of their relationship, but he did care about how Carmelita felt in general. He genuinely did love her. He was even planning on proposing to her as soon as she turned eighteen in two months. He had been eighteen for a little more than six months, so the age gap wasn't anything considerable, but he did want to wait just a little bit longer.

Walking the few feet between the curb of the street to the restaurant entrance, Daniel and Carmelita were able to leave the clamoring press behind them. Their waiter came to them, welcomed them, and then took them to their table. Daniel began to look over the menu, easily gliding over the French wording on the left side. English translations were provided on the opposite page, but Daniel did like to use his arsenal of languages any chance he got.

While he went over his options, he became acutely aware that people were staring at both him and his date. That was to be expected, of course, but what wasn't to be expected was what people were saying. He could hear them, even though they tried to keep their comments at their table. Daniel heard muttered comments on his own parentage, Carmelita's societal status, and many other such things. But what really set him off was when he heard a balding man in his fifties say to his wife, "Who does that punk think he is, bringing a fox here?" Daniel recognized the voice as belonging to Walter Flemming, a respected member of the technological world, and one of the biggest anti-Vixen pushers out there.

Daniel had to clench and unclench his fists several times to keep himself from walking over and beating the man senseless. It wouldn't have been hard; Flemming was out of shape, and Daniel had been trained to fight dozens of assailants in peak physical condition. But for the sake of staying civil, Daniel resisted the urge to redesign Flemming's face.

"Excuse me, Mr. Wayne." Daniel looked up to see their waiter standing next to him. "I'm sorry, sir, but management respectfully requests that you and your date leave the restaurant."

"And why would that be?" Daniel asked.

"Apparently, your presence is disturbing the other customers here." That was the last straw.

Loudly slapping his menu shut, Daniel looked at the waiter. "Tell your manager that I would like to speak with him. Now." Daniel looked into the waiter's eyes and showed him that he was not going to take no for an answer with this. The man quickly ran off to do as he was told. In a few minutes, the manager was at the table.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Wayne, but this restaurant must think about the other customers that are dining here as well," he had said. Daniel had to force himself to not do anything rash at that comment.

Carmelita picked up her purse and got ready to leave, but Daniel waved her down. "Daniel, it's OK. We can find someplace else to go."

"No. I said we were going to eat here, and we will. If management wants us to leave, then I say it's time for a change." Reaching into his pocket, Daniel pulled out his checkbook. Scribbling down a figure, he wrote the check out to the owner of the restaurant, and signed his name at the bottom. Folding it in half, he stood and slipped it into the front pocket of the manager's suit jacket.

"Sir, it is not a matter of money, it is a matter of patron safety," he said.

"First of all, Carmelita's presence here does not represent a danger, and you're lucky I don't take you to court for implying so. Second, I'm not paying you anything. If you'd be so kind as to give that to the restaurant's owner, you'll find that I'm buying the restaurant and that I'm making a change in policies." Daniel turned and spoke loudly enough for everyone in the place to hear him. "Excuse me, everyone! It has come to my attention that some of you are uncomfortable with the presence of my date, the lovely Carmelita. First, I would like to say that there is no reason for this. It is common knowledge that I have been dating her for the last year and a half, and it isn't any of your business who I show love to. Second, I would like to say that if you are uncomfortable with her presence, there is a door right over there," he gestured to the door at this, "and you are more than welcome to leave my restaurant at any time." He smiled, turned, and sat back down. Some left, including Walter Flemming. He didn't care. This was his time with Carmelita.

She sat across from him, her mouth agape. Turning to the waiter and the manager, she said, "Could you just give us a minute, please?" The two nodded and walked off. Turning back to Daniel, Carmelita took a minute to find the right words to say. "Did you just honestly buy a restaurant and tell everyone to piss off just because you wanted to stay here?"

"Partly. Mostly, it was because they needed to learn that I'm not going to leave a restaurant simply because you're with me and they feel uncomfortable." Daniel reached across the table and laid a hand on top of hers. "I love you, Carmelita. And I'm not going to let people's prejudice interfere with any of our activities."

Carmelita smiled. "This is why I fell in love with you," she said. The waiter came back over a moment later.

"Is the lady ready to order?" he asked kindly.

"Yes, I am." Carmelita placed her order and looked to Daniel.

"Parlez vous france?" he asked.

"Oui, Monsieur."

Daniel smiled and proceeded to give the man his order in French, folding his menu and handing it to him when he was done. Their food came, and it was quite delicious, but all that Daniel could think about was the beautiful Vixen before him. She was everything to him. Her very presence in a room made his heart rate quicken automatically-an impressive feat since by the time he was ten Daniel had learned to master his body's functions.

No other option would satisfy him. Carmelita would have to be his wife. She was everything he needed and wanted in a woman. She was kind, compassionate, loving, and so beautiful.

"Are you staring at me?" Carmelita asked, pulling Daniel from his thoughts.

"Maybe. Can you blame me, beautiful?"

Carmelita smiled. "If you keep complimenting me like that my head will swell up so much I'll never be able to get out the doors."

_Just wait a few months, querera, _Daniel thought,_and by the time I'm done, your head will be a planet in and of itself._


	5. A Vixen's Home

For the sections of this chapter that are in Spanish, I have tried to surround them in enough English for their general meanings to be understood in context, but if you don't understand, I pulled these from Google Translate, so you can just copy and translate them to English that way. Please please please review. Reviews are what fuel me to write.

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Carmelita entered her apartment later that night, dancing lightly with herself and humming a traditional Vixen tune. Her little ten-year-old brother, Enrico, looked up from his toys on the floor to see his sister in her new dress. "Did he kiss you?" he asked with a snicker.

Carmelita stopped dancing, glaring pointedly at her little brother. "Enrico, you know that he and I have both agreed to wait for that. So no, he didn't kiss me-not that it's any of your business."

"Carmelita, did you have a good time?" The shouted question came from her father, who was in his room, watching television.

"Sí Papá. Tuvimos una noche muy bueno." Carmelita smiled at her use of earth Spanish. It was incredibly similar to their own native language-understandable since the majority of Spanish culture came from Vixen visitors that had come to earth many years ago. Carmelita's father had wanted her to learn Spanish as a way to maintain her Vixen heritage, despite living on earth since she was an infant. "It was so era un caballero perfecto. ¡Incluso compró el restaurante cuando la otra gente trataron de forzarnos salir! He took my hand and told me that he wouldn't allow anyone to compromise our evening." Carmelita leaned against the kitchen counter with a dreamy look in her eyes. Daniel was really sweet to her.

"Me contenta escuchar esto, Carmelita," her mother called. "¿Cuándo escucharemos el sonido de los nietos?"

"¡Mamá! ¡Daniel y yo todavía no estamos preparados para eso! Y es ilegal que incluso casemos a este edad. We will marry soon enough and you will have grandchildren after that!"

Enrico was rolling on the floor laughing at that. "You might as well marry him now," he giggled. "Mama is not going to let up on that."

"¡Oye pillo! Vaya a tu habitación para jugar o hacer algo; eso no tiene que ver contigo," she said to her brother.

"You can't make me," he taunted.

Carmelita glared playfully at her brother. "Is that so?" Moving quickly despite being in a dress, Carmelita lunged for her brother, scooping him up and tickling his neck, stomach, and armpits. Enrico nearly cackled as his sister did this, until finally, he relented, promising that he would go to bed. Letting him down, Carmelita watched as Enrico ran for his room to put his pajamas on.

Going to her own room, Carmelita slipped out of her dress and changed into a pair of loose shorts and a tank top. Sliding into bed, she closed her eyes and tried to dream of Daniel. That's when her phone started ringing.

Her eyes snapped open and she muttered a curse in Spanish as her hands fumbled for the device. When she finally brought it to her ear, she angrily mumbled, "Quien quiera que sea, es mejor que tener una buena razón para llamar a esta hora."

_"Hola, querida. _Espero que no estuvisteis durmiendo._"_It was Daniel.

"No, no," she said sitting up. "It's only 11:30 at night. Did you need something?"

_"Only to hear your voice again, Carmelita. And to know if you would be willing to come with me to dinner in Paris a week from now."_

"Paris, France?" Carmelita asked, surprised.

_"Is there any other Paris?"_ Daniel teased._"My dad is lending me the company jet. You up for it?"_

"Por supuesto!"

_"Perfect! You'll be picked up around five next Friday. I love you."_

"I love you too. Good night." Carmelita hung up and hugged the phone to her chest. She was going to Paris with her boyfriend. Could life get better?


	6. The Dark Knight Rises Again

This chapter marks the first appearance of Bruce Wayne and the return of Gotham's Guardian. It also is where some actual plot begins to develop. I know that the last five chapters have been mostly fluff, but trust me, this is where the plot actually starts. I know that I sound kind of needy when I say this, but please review! Reviews make me happy, and if I'm happy, it makes me write more.

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On the way home from dinner with Carmelita, Daniel's phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket, he saw that it was from his father. This was odd. Bruce Wayne rarely called his son, and when he did, it was incredibly important.

"Hello?"

_"Look in the sky,"_was Bruce's gruff reply to his son's greeting.

Rolling down his window, Daniel looked up, his heart skipping a beat from what he saw. A spotlight was shining into the air, but it was not a perfectly white circle. In the middle of the light, a shadow of a bat hovered in the night sky.

_"Do you see it?"_ Bruce asked.

"After eighteen years, they finally understand their problem," Daniel replied sullenly.

_"I told you that they would have to beg for you to come. Now, it's time for Gotham to meet the hero that they don't deserve, but they desperately need. Get here as soon as you can; I've warmed up the car for you."_ With that, Bruce terminated the connection.

When Daniel returned to Wayne Manor, he hurried up the stone steps and through the halls until he came to the grandfather clock near his father's study. Pushing it to the side, Daniel followed the steps down the dark tunnel that opened up behind it.

Despite the pitch black of the tunnel, Daniel had no problem maneuvering through it when the clock slid back into place. He had memorized the path many years ago. Besides, he actually saw things better in the dark. He saw things quite well in the light, but for some reason, Daniel felt that the darkness accentuated his sense of sight. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw the Batcave in all its splendor-the supercomputers, the gadgets, and especially, the Batmobile. Running to the chair where his aging father sat, Daniel pulled his jacket off and tossed it on a nearby table, grabbing a black and gray utility belt from a console in front of the central computer.

"I refilled and charged the nanobots in the belt," the elder Wayne said, his chin resting over his hands atop his cane. "The car is ready, but the Batsignal has been in the sky for ten minutes. I suggest you hurry."

Throwing the belt around his hips as he moved to the car, Daniel pressed the glowing red button in the center of it. In moments, millions of nanobots spread across his body to form the latest version of the Batsuit. It was all black, except for the inside lining of the cape that hung off of his shoulders, which was a vibrant crimson red like the bat symbol on his chest and the red lenses that covered his eyes. Jumping up, Daniel slid into the Batmobile and took off like a shot from a cannon.

Ever since he was old enough, Daniel had run simulations for the Batmobile, and had long since memorized the streets of Gotham City. In minutes, he pulled up in front of Gotham Police station. Opening the hatch for the Batmobile, Daniel pointed his grapple gun up to the roof and fired. The hook caught the edge and started to pull him up. By the time he reached the top, Daniel yanked the gun back onto his belt as he shot into the air, the moon at his back. Grabbing his cape, he pulled it into its glider form, descending upon the dozen or so people on the roof.

Landing, Daniel rose to his full height. "You called?" he asked, his voice as filtered as the last time he put on the mask.

Police Commissioner Jack Gordon stepped forward. "I'll be darned. My old man wasn't crazy. You did come."

"I assume I was brought here for more than just chit-chat."

Gordon cleared his throat. "Yes. That's true. What do you know about Vixen biology?"

"Depends on what you mean," Daniel asked

"Their immune system."

"It's twice as strong as a human's immune system. Vixens can't even catch the common cold, much less anything else."

"Then maybe you can explain why I've got four Vixens in our morgue downstairs, all dead as a result of tuberculosis."

Daniel cocked his head. "That's not possible. They can't catch tuberculosis."

"Well, these ones did. That's why I brought you here. Maybe you can look the case over and find something we didn't." Gordon snapped his fingers. Instantly, a young officer brought four files over, one for each victim, and a small box. "Here's everything we've got on the victims, plus samples of their blood. My dad said that you had some pretty fancy stuff you used. Maybe you can find what killed them."

Daniel took the items from the officer, placing the box in his belt and the files in his cape. "I'll see what I can do." With that, he turned and jumped off the building, using his cape to glide down to the Batmobile. Soon enough, he was back at the cave, the Batsuit retracting back into the belt.

Daniel slapped the files down on the computer desk in front of his father, who hadn't moved since he left. "Four dead Vixens, all of them killed by tuberculosis."

"That's not possible," Bruce replied, his face betraying no surprise or denial.

"That's what I said, but I looked over the files in the car, and it looks legit." Pulling the blood out, Daniel set the box down next to the files. "I got these samples. I'll run them tomorrow. Right now, I need to talk to you about something."

"And that would be?" Bruce raised an eyebrow at this.

"Me borrowing the jet so I can take Carmelita to Paris next week to propose to her," Daniel got out in one breath.

Bruce spun his chair around to look at his son. "I thought you were going to wait until she turned eighteen."

"I was, but then this happened. If I'm going to be Gotham's hero, that's going to take up most of my nights, and I don't want to do that to Carmelita. I want her to know why, but I don't want to give her the burden of that knowledge until she marries me. We may not be able to get married now, but no law says I can't propose to her. Planning the wedding will take up the time between now and her birthday, so by the time it comes, it won't be illegal. Please, Dad. I don't want her to think that I'm spending my nights running away from her."

"Planning a wedding takes more work than just dating a girl," Bruce replied calmly. "She'll notice you abandoning her when you're planning it together."

"Not if I tell her that you just gave me a new job at the company and I'm putting in some extra hours to make sure we have enough to be set up later on after the wedding. My sudden absences would be explained by that."

Bruce seemed to think that over for a few minutes. Finally, the aging Wayne looked up into his son's eyes. "You know I'm proud of you. I taught you to push yourself to the limit and then break it. You never succumbed to the ideas around you. You always forged your own opinions, and you never let others dictate what you believed. And even though it wasn't the popular thing to do, you fell in love with a girl, and you pursued that love-ignoring the protests of everyone around you. I am proud beyond words to call you my son." Reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket, Bruce pulled out a black felt box. "Because of how you have been raised by your mother and I, I trust your judgement. If you think that asking Carmelita to marry you now is the right thing to do, then you have my blessing." Bruce held the box to Daniel, who took it.

Opening it, Daniel found a silver engagement ring with a single diamond set in the center. "That's the ring I used to propose to your mother. I think... no, I know that she would be honored if you used that ring to propose to Carmelita."

Daniel was dumbstruck. "I don't know what to say," he finally whispered.

"Then don't say anything." Bruce stood up. "You may have the jet next week. I'm going to bed." Then, Bruce did something Daniel didn't expect; he hugged his son. Daniel didn't know what to do at first, but eventually, he wrapped his arms around his father, enjoying the contact with the elder Wayne. Bruce broke away from the hug, and silently climbed the steps back to the mansion.

Daniel, on the other hand, pulled his phone out from his pocket to call Carmelita.

"_Quien quiera que sea, es mejor que tener una buena razón para llamar a esta hora."_

"Hola, querida. ¿No estabas dormida estabas?"

_"No, no. It's only 11:30 at night. Did you need something?"_

"Only to hear your voice again, Carmelita. And to know if you would be willing to come with me to dinner in a week in Paris."

_"Paris, France?"_

"Is there any other Paris?" Daniel asked with a smile. "My dad is lending me the company jet. You up for it?"

_"Por supuesto!"_

"Perfect. You'll be picked up around five next Friday. I love you."

_"I love you too. Good night."_ Daniel hung up the phone, putting the box in his pocket. "Until next Saturday, querera," he whispered.


	7. A Flight to Paris

This is kind of a filler chapter, so I apologize in advance for its length and, as I have been told, poorly done Spanish. However, if this chapter has anything going for it, then it's that it gives a better glance at Vixen culture. I want to thank everyone for their very helpful reviews, especially to Lost in a Daze. I greatly appreciate your corrections of my Spanish, and appreciate your offer, but I've shut down my PM function for privacy reasons, so if you could leave you're corrections in a review along with the rest of your actual review, that would be very helpful. Thank you.

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Carmelita hurried around her room, quickly packing for her weekend trip to Paris. Daniel would be picking her up in less than an hour, and she wasn't completely packed. Her basics were in her bag, but her dress from the other night was still hanging in her closet. Even so, she couldn't help but spin in excitement for what was to come.

She jumped a little bit when she heard a knock on the door. "¿Quien es?"

"It's Daniel. May I come in?"

"Si! Si!"

Daniel opened the door right before Carmelita jumped into his arms. She didn't even give him a chance to regain his balance before she started chattering excitedly in Spanish. "Estoy muy emocionado por este viaje! Muchas gracias por preguntar a tu papá nosotros podía hacer esto! ¿Crees que podríamos ir a la Torre Eiffel para la cena?"

"No lo sé, cariño, pero voy a ver qué puedo hacer," he responded in turn. "De nada, por cierto."

Pulling away, Carmelita realized she had been speaking in Spanish. "Sorry," she said, sheepishly. "I meant to speak English."

"It's OK, Carmelita. I understand Spanish really well. I learned it when I was a kid. You can speak it around me if you want."

"That's OK. You're early."

"I know, but I didn't know how quickly you would get ready, so I figured I'd stop by and help you out if you needed it."

"Thanks, but it's not really necessary. I'll just be a few more minutes, then we can go." True to her word, Carmelita was completely packed less than five minutes later.

The car ride to the airstrip took roughly twenty minutes, and it was mostly spent with Carmelita bouncing in her seat out of pure excitement. When they finally boarded the Wayne Enterprises jet, Carmelita sat down on the couch next to Daniel.

Curling her legs underneath her, she snuggled up against him while he put his arm around her. "You excited?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes!" She scooted as close as she could to her boyfriend. "I'm sorry if I'm too bouncy or anything, I'm just so excited."

"I get it," he said with a smile. "Look, I'm a little tired, so can we just call it a day for now? It'll be late when we get there, so we'll just go to the hotel, go to our rooms and sleep in. We'll do some sight seeing in the morning. How does that sound?"

"Sure."

Daniel leaned his head back and closed his eyes. In a few minutes, his breathing became steady and Carmelita could hear his heart's rhythm. Laying her head down on his chest, she closed her own eyes and tried to go to sleep too. She was almost to that point when she felt Daniel's hand brush the fur of her arm. She was wearing a t-shirt and jeans, leaving her arms exposed from halfway up her biceps down to her fingers. Tactile contact was important amongst her people; every touch had a meaning. His touch didn't mean anything suggestive, not to a Vixen, and Carmelita knew that Daniel's sense of honor was much higher than most other boys their age. If he knew he was doing something that made Carmelita uncomfortable, he would stop immediately.

She didn't want him to though. His touch didn't imply anything inappropriate, it merely spoke of protection. The way he was gently rubbing her arm said that he cared for her, and he would do anything to keep her safe. That helped her. Gotham wasn't the easiest place for Vixens to live, especially in the part of it where she lived. To know that Daniel would be there for her meant everything to Carmelita. Nuzzling his chest with her cheek, she whispered her appreciation in Spanish before falling asleep against him.


	8. A Proposal on the Eiffel Tower

Sorry that I haven't updated recently, but there's other writing projects that I've been working on, that and I've got school all up in my business. Now, with school almost out, I should be able to update more, but I'm also going to be working at a summer camp, so no promises. Here is quite possibly my fluffiest chapter yet, but believe me when I say that I've got lots more fluff where this came from. Again, review. I love reviews. Seriously, you have no idea how much I love them.

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Daniel had been to Paris before, but being there with Carmelita was completely different. To be able to see things through her eyes made the day that much more beautiful, even though it really couldn't have been more picture-perfect. The sun was shining in the vibrant blue sky, the birds were chirping, and a breeze blew lazily through the air. The day was wonderful, but Daniel knew that the night was going to be even greater.

He had called ahead earlier in the week, cashing in a few favors that his dad had collected over the years and managed to get permission to use the Eiffel Tower for dinner for a night. With that in mind, Daniel had worked feverishly to make sure that nothing but the best was going to be used for their dinner. He didn't want to leave anything out-this night was going to be perfect in every way imaginable.

Despite all the fun things that the two had done that day, Daniel found himself anxiously counting down to dinnertime. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the sun began to set and Carmelita mentioned wanting dinner.

"Well, querera," he said once they had returned to their hotel, "if you go put on that beautiful dress of yours, I'm going to treat you to the best dinner of your life."

"Ooh. Sounds interesting." Nuzzling her cheek to his, Carmelita ran to her room adjacent to Daniel's to change. Calmly, Daniel changed out of his own jeans and shirt into his pressed tuxedo. It was his favorite style, black slacks and jacket, but with a crimson vest and bow-tie. Daniel chuckled to himself as he tucked the red handkerchief into the outer pocket, realizing how similar in color scheme his tuxedo was to the Batsuit.

When he was finished, he knocked on Carmelita's door. "Esta usted listo?" he asked.

"Casi. Un momento, por favor."

Daniel patiently waited, and in a few moments was greeted by a stunning woman that had to have been sent from Heaven itself; at least that's what Daniel thought. Her blue-black hair had been curled and was flowing loosely over her shoulders and down her back. The dress was the same sparkling blue that she had worn the night before, setting off her eyes of exactly the same color-a vibrant dark blue. She didn't wear much makeup, just some red lipstick, mascara, and eye shadow on her eyelids. Despite her lack of face paint, she was still gorgeous. There was no other word that Daniel could find to describe her, and even then, he didn't feel that it described her well enough.

Daniel held his arm out to her. "Shall we, my dear."

Carmelita looped her arm through his. "Of course, mi corazon."

Daniel led Carmelita down to the hotel entrance where a limo was waiting for them. "Where are we going?" Carmelita asked.

"Just wait, querera. You'll see in due time." A chauffeur opened the back door for the two, closing it behind them. The ride wasn't a long one, and the windows were tinted to prevent Carmelita from being surprised early. Daniel's heart tried to beat faster with every second that ticked by, but he managed to keep it at a steady pace. If he let his body betray how nervous he was, Carmelita would pick up on it and possibly connect the dots. He just couldn't have that happen.

When the limo stopped, the door was opened and Daniel helped Carmelita out. "Look up, Carmelita," he whispered.

Carmelita obeyed and gasped when she saw the Eiffel Tower looming over head. "You didn't," she whispered in awe.

"I had to call in a few favors, but I did. Come on." Daniel led her to the elevator that took them to the top of the tower. When they stepped out of the elevator, a table was set up near the railing overlooking Paris. Pulling out a chair for Carmelita, Daniel let her sit down before he sat down himself. A waiter came and set down their first course, a warm cheese soup of some kind. The two began to eat while a musician played his violin off to the side, but as the moments went on, Daniel found it harder and harder to keep his composure.

Here before him sat the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She was the woman that meant everything to him and more. Feeling the box in the pocket of his slacks, Daniel's pulse began to quicken just a little bit. When the waiter brought the main course, Daniel turned to him and spoke some hurried instructions in French. The waiter nodded his understanding and walked off. Daniel suppressed a grin. He had just moved up his timetable. Instead of proposing to Carmelita after dessert, he was going to do so after their course of fish and breadsticks.

Their conversations varied, and Daniel did his best to keep his attention on them, but he found his mind wandering to what was coming. Finally, once they had finished, Daniel set his napkin down on the table and leaned forward a bit. Taking a breath, he spoke.

"Carmelita, you know how much I love you, right?"

"Of course I do, silly! Who else would take me to Paris for dinner on the Eiffel Tower?"

Daniel chuckled. "You know how much I care about you, and I only want you to be happy. Well recently, my dad got me a job in the company. It helps a lot of people, but it's going to suck my nights dry. I didn't want to just up and leave you with that kind of explanation one night and strain our relationship."

"You could have just told me at home. I would have understood that." Carmelita leaned back in her seat just a little bit. "What's going on, Daniel? Why did you bring me here to tell me that?"

"Please let me finish. You see, I don't want to have you as a girlfriend any more." Only after the words came out did Daniel realize how badly he had stuck his foot in his mouth.

Carmelita looked ready to cry. "You don't?" she whispered, her voice breaking up.

"No, no, no," Daniel quickly followed up. "I'm sorry, I'm just really nervous. I didn't mean it that way." Taking a shaky breath, Daniel tried again. "I don't want you to be my girlfriend because I want you to be my wife." Getting out of his seat and lowering himself to one knee between the railing and the table on Carmelita's left, Daniel pulled the box out of his pocket and opened it, revealing the ring to her. "It might be a little hard at first, but I don't want to start this job without knowing that you'll always be there for me. I don't want to start this job without you knowing that I will never leave you. We've known each other for years, and you know that if you put this ring on, I will never do anything that will make you want to take it off.

"You mean everything to me, Carmelita. You've always been around when I needed someone to talk to, and when you felt lonely, I always came. I can't imagine going one more day without you." Here, Daniel stopped and swallowed the dry lump that had formed in his throat. "Carmelita, will you marry me?"

Tears trickled down Carmelita's face as Daniel finished his speech. "But, I thought it was illegal," she managed to say.

"It's illegal for us to marry, but not for me to propose to you. The wedding will take some time to plan. By the time the actual day comes around you'll be eighteen and we won't have anything to worry about."

Daniel couldn't tell if she was thinking it over or if she was just shocked, or both. Either way, she wasn't moving at all. Finally, after moments that had crawled along for what seemed like hours, she slowly raised her hand to Daniel, allowing Daniel to the ring onto her finger. She took her own shaky breath before speaking again.

"Oh, you silly boy. Of course I'll marry you!"

Daniel couldn't hide his relief at that. Standing, he pulled Carmelita up into his arms and hugged her. He was beyond ecstatic. The waiter must have been psychic since Daniel saw him whisper to the violinist. Instantly, he began to play a nice waltz for the happy couple. Daniel knew how to dance quite well, but Carmelita didn't know how to waltz very well. She could tango and salsa like nobody's business, but when it came to the traditional waltz, she wasn't so good.

Daniel looked to the musician and inquired if he could change the song to one they could tango to, but he replied that he didn't know any song like that. Daniel nodded and reached into his pocket, paying the man for his services and excusing him for the evening.

Pulling out his phone, Daniel set a song to play. Taking Carmelita into his arms again with a grin, the two began to dance, their feet moving in perfect time to the music. The stars and lights of the Paris night made the perfect backdrop for the dancing couple. All of Daniel's planning had worked, for it truly was the perfect night.


	9. Breakfast at Denny's

This chapter is more character development rather than actual plot. It's shorter than others because at the time I was going through some writers block and just wrote what seemed to fit for the time. Thanks to all of you that have stuck through with it so far, it really makes me feel good. The next chapter will be the wedding, which will be fluffy, of course, but there will be some darker undertones to it as well. This chapter, again, is filler, but it also gives you another glimpse into Vixen culture. It also has my horrible Google Translate Spanish. I'll say it again, please review!

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Carmelita couldn't sleep a wink on the flight home, despite Daniel's arm around her and his light snoring. All she could do the whole time was stare at her engagement ring and smile widely, her tail flicking back and forth in her excitement. She was actually going to marry Daniel Wayne. It wasn't because they had to, it wasn't because of politics, it wasn't because of money, it was because they loved each other. It was that simple.

Not for the first time, Carmelita worried about what would happen to Daniel and his family in the social realm. Daniel had insisted that none of that mattered to him, and that Bruce Wayne had given his blessing for their union, but she still worried about what some people like Walter Flemming might do to the Wayne name, one that both Bruce and Daniel had fought hard to keep clean from any stain.

It wasn't illegal for Vixens and humans to marry, but as far as either Daniel or Carmelita knew, their marriage would be the first of its kind. That thought brought another smile to Carmelita's face. She had talked with Daniel about the wedding a little bit, and they had agreed that they would incorporate elements from both species into the ceremony. She would wear a white wedding dress, he, a tuxedo, and they would exchange vows and rings like humans, but Daniel had said he would be more than happy to honor her people's traditions.

A Vixen wedding was similar, but instead of vows or rings being exchanged, the two Vixens rub their scent on each other. During the ceremony, a Vixen's body released a pheromone that they would exchange by rubbing their cheeks together. This scent would have personal traces of the individual Vixen, but it also had a universal quality. When a Vixen smelled this pheromone on another Vixen, then they knew that the other is spoken for.

Since Daniel wasn't a Vixen, he couldn't give her a scent like she could him, but that was what the rings were for. Then again, it would be common knowledge that the two of them were married, so no Vixen or human would want to make any moves, especially since most of them thought that the idea of a Vixen/human marriage was wrong.

For the record, Vixen physiology and biology is incredibly similar to humans, and most certainly compatible. It might have been different, but it wasn't impossible or necessarily unnatural. It really depended on who you asked.

After more than four hours, Carmelita was finally able to fall asleep. She woke up what felt like only a short time later, but was most likely actually several hours, to Daniel gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up, querera," he whispered. "We're landing."

Carmelita groaned a little bit as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. The sun was coming through the windows of the jet, so it was morning now in Gotham City. Yawning and stretching, she was finally able to open her eyes without the blurry lens of sleep covering them. "What time is it," she asked.

Daniel checked his watch. "About 8:30. I called my dad last night, and he agreed to pick up your parents for breakfast. We're going to meet them all at Denny's after we land."

"Why? I mean, I like the idea of meeting them for breakfast, but why?"

"So that we can tell them we're engaged. My dad knows, but your parents don't."

Carmelita nodded in understanding. "Makes sense." She looked at Daniel. "I still just can't believe it," she said with a slight giggle. "We're getting married!"

"Hey, you can't believe it? You have no idea how nerve-wracking last night was for me. When you finally said yes, I was able to let my heart beat as fast as it wanted."

Carmelita smiled and leaned up against Daniel again. The jet finished its landing, and they stepped out onto the Wayne Enterprises air strip to find nothing but a silver Maserati 350 waiting for them. Walking over to it, they found the car empty, but there was an envelope underneath the windshield wiper with Daniel's name on it. He opened it, and Carmelita looked over Daniel's shoulder as he read it.

_An engagement present. Have fun. _Bruce Wayne's signature was scrawled across the bottom of the note. With a grin, Daniel opened the driver's door and hopped in. Running around to the other door, Carmelita did the same, quickly buckling her seatbelt while Daniel turned the car on. The engine came to life with a deep, throaty hum. Daniel pressed the gas to the floor and the car took off to the main road. In less than ten minutes, the Maserati pulled into the parking lot of the Denny's.

Opening Carmelita's door, Daniel helped her out of the car and into the restaurant. Joining Bruce and her own parents at a booth towards the back of the building, Carmelita sat across from Daniel, next to her parents while Daniel sat next to his father.

"Thank you both for coming," Daniel said to Carmelita's parents.

"It was our pleasure," Carmelita's father replied. "Mr. Wayne said you had an announcement."

"Please, sir, call me Bruce," the elder Wayne interjected. "Mr. Wayne is what my employees call me."

"Very well, but only if you call me Pablo," was the male Vixen's reply to Bruce's courtesy.

"And I insist you call me Lucienda," Carmelita's mother chimed in.

"That's very kind of you," Daniel said. "Well, like my father told you last night, we do have an announcement." Daniel looked at Carmelita, silently asking if she wanted to take it from there.

"Mom, Dad," she paused as she extended her left hand to show them the ring on her finger. "Daniel and I are engaged."

"Pero pensé que era ilegal para que te cases," her mother said surprised.

"It's illegal for us to get married, but not to get engaged," Carmelita replied. "Daniel actually planned this really well. We'll do all the planning and set the actual date for after my birthday so that we won't be doing anything illegal."

"Estoy tan feliz por ti, me nina," her father said, pulling her into a hug.

"Gracias, Papa," she said as she hugged him back.

"You agreed to this as well, Bruce?" Pablo asked once he released his daughter.

Bruce nodded. "Daniel came to me last week with his plan in mind. I gave him my blessing then. And I'd like you to know that the Wayne family will be paying for everything."

"No, Bruce, we insist that we pay for something." Lucienda looked almost hurt that Bruce wanted to pay for everything. "Let us at least give you the full dowry for Carmelita."

"There's no need. You need the money more than we do. I insist that you let me pay for the full cost of the wedding."

"You are far too kind," Pablo said. "Thank you."

"It is my pleasure."

Their waiter came, took their order, coming back with their food shortly after, and Carmelita was quite pleased that Daniel got along so well with her parents. Their families would be getting along quite well, she could tell.


	10. The Wedding of the Century

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, because I am so generous, I present to you the moment that you've all been waiting for: the wedding of Daniel Wayne to the Vixen Carmelita. Oh the fun I had with this chapter. It is fluffy to be sure, but there are some darker tones towards the end. Also, it's time to play our favorite game: Spot the Reference. I want to see if any of you can deduce just who the mother of the new Dark Knight is. Leave me your guess in a review, but rest assured, the answer will be revealed in time. Oh, and patattack, just a shout out to you, you're right, this is essentially the calm before the storm. Right now, I'm trying to establish the characters and their situations before I really plunge them into the plot. Anyway, enough of me blurbing, enjoy.

Two months had breezed by like nothing, and Carmelita was eighteen years old in what seemed like a blink of an eye. They had set their wedding date for a few weeks after high school graduations. During the days Daniel planned the ceremony's particulars with Carmelita, and during the nights he worked to keep Gotham safe. Shortly after that first night atop Gotham Police station, Batman had gotten back in the press. Newspapers were throwing around different theories about why the Dark Knight had left and suddenly returned, there was even rumors about books that would attempt to explain the psychology behind Gotham's Guardian.

Between his nightly patrols and his days with Carmelita, Daniel was still able to work on the strange strain of tuberculosis that now claimed seven victims. It was obviously the work of a serial killer, but Daniel couldn't find any evidence on the bodies that might lead to an arrest. Somehow, this UnSub had managed to create a strain of tuberculosis that affected Vixens.

If that was the case though, why hadn't he released it by and large into a concentrated area of Vixens? Maybe he couldn't. It was entirely possible that the strain that the UnSub had created wasn't airborne. That would give Daniel an advantage, for sure. Maybe he could find the killer before he had the chance to wipe out Gotham's Vixen population. Thankfully, the press hadn't leaked anything on the killings. The police had kept a tight lid on it to keep from Vixen riots, and Batman's return coupled with the announcement of the engagement of Daniel Wayne to Carmelita kept them busy enough.

But he couldn't worry about that now. Now, he was about to marry Carmelita. He couldn't believe how nervous he was. Despite his best efforts, Daniel's body wouldn't obey his commands. His heart was beating fast, his palms were sweating, and he couldn't stop straightening his bow tie or running his hands through his brown hair. Bruce seemed to notice from his seat in the audience and gave his son a knowing smile.

Finally, after an eternity of waiting, the wedding march sounded and Carmelita started to walk down the aisle. She wore a traditional wedding dress, but it had been modified like her blue dress for her tail. Beneath the veil she wore on her head, Carmelita beamed. She looked like an angel.

When she finally stood across from him, his heart started to beat even faster. The preacher started to go through the traditional ceremony, talking about how marriage is a sacred institution, even going so far as to touch upon how humans and Vixens could love as well. That comment made Daniel think about the press that no doubt was vying for a chance to be there. Thank goodness, the Wayne Estate grounds were private property, and the police even left a couple of patrol cars by the front gate.

Finally, the couple exchanged rings and vows, promising to be true to each other, that nothing would come between them, and that they would stick together through thick and thin. "Now, you may kiss the bride," the preacher said. Daniel certainly wanted to, but there was the Vixen part of the ceremony to perform. Lifting her veil, Daniel reached up and cupped the back of Carmelita's neck, bringing her face forward to nuzzle their cheeks together. It was nothing really new, they had nuzzled their cheeks together before, but Daniel could almost feel how Carmelita was marking him, declaring to all other Vixens that he was taken, just as their rings had declared.

Quickly, Daniel shifted his face to bring their lips together. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to burst right out. Carmelita's lips tasted like strawberries from the lip balm she wore, and they felt like silk against his.

Now he really understood why he had saved this kiss for now. Knowing that it sealed a deal with finality, that it was special in every way, made it that much better. Their lips parted, and Daniel smiled at her.

Offering her his arm, Daniel led her down the grassy aisle to the reception area that had been prepared. Congratulations were given, toasts were made, food and laughter was found in plentiful supply. It didn't seem that the day had any poor qualities to it, not with the sun shining and the friends and family that had come to celebrate. That was when Daniel saw someone standing at the top of a hill on the estate. It was a woman, and she wore a long black dress, the same color as her hair. She stood there, waiting.

Daniel excused himself from his bride and walked over to her, assured that they were out of earshot, even for Carmelita's hearing. "What are you doing here," he demanded of the woman. "I don't remember sending you an invitation."

"I'm not even welcome to my own son's wedding?" the woman calmly replied.

"When you abandon your son when he's only six years old and never talk to him again, I'd say that you forfeit your right to be there when he gets married," he growled.

"I've told you over and over that I had no choice but to return home. My mother stepped down, I had to take the throne."

"You can keep telling yourself that, but I think we both know that you could have found another way to stay with me if you had really tried. Now what do you want?"

The woman brought her hands from behind her back, presenting a folded piece of parchment. "I've come with a peace offering."

Daniel took the parchment from her hands and opened it, reading the Ancient Greek text as easily as he read english. "Is this a joke? You seriously want me to believe that after twelve years of no contact except that blasted cave, you want me to bring my wife to your island for our honeymoon? How stupid do you think I am?"

"I don't think you're stupid. I honestly want this."

"If you did, you would have tried to apologize earlier, but you didn't. You're asking me to forget twelve years worth of abandonment to come to an island for two weeks that happens to be populated with aunts that hate me for the fact that I can beat them in a fight, and a grandmother who hates me for my heritage, just so I can subject my wife to a prejudice even worse than she faces here, all because you want to 'make amends'? How stupid do you have to be to think I can even begin to consider that?"

"Daniel, please," the woman reached out to touch her son's arm, but Daniel pulled away.

"No," he said forcefully, dropping the parchment at her feet. "You weren't interested in being my mother twelve years ago, and I've accepted that, but don't try to pretend you're interested now. But," he said, a bit calmer as he straightened the sleeves of his jacket, "since you are my mother, I won't tell my kids that you abandoned me, and as a result them. I'll just tell them you died in a boating accident."

"Why would you tell them I'm dead?" the woman asked, shocked.

Daniel leaned forward until his face was an inch from hers. "Because you're dead to me," he growled. Turning, Daniel walked down the hill, calling upon every ounce of strength he had to put a smile back on his face before he returned to his seat next to Carmelita.


	11. The Princess and the Bat

Here is the long awaited conclusion to the wedding along with the reveal of just who Daniel's mother is. Enjoy, and leave a review.

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Bruce Wayne leaned on his cane behind the raven-haired woman on the hill. He had heard the exchange between her and his son, and waited for Daniel to leave before approaching her. "He does have a point, you know." The woman turned and looked at Bruce, almost surprised that he was there. "You did abandon him," Bruce continued before she could say anything else. "It doesn't matter what reason you had for leaving. To his six year old mind, you abandoned him. As mature as he was for his age at the time, he was still just a boy. He needed a mother, and you took that away from him. You're actually lucky that he was willing to come up here to talk to you at all."

"Didn't you tell him why I left?"

"Of course I did, but that doesn't change the fact that you did abandon him."

"If he's so scarred, then why did you let him get married so young?"

"Because that scarring drove him forward. For five years, he thought that I was going to abandon him too, and as a result, he put everything he was into becoming what he is today. It took my psoriatic arthritis diagnosis for him to finally realize that I wasn't going anywhere, but before that, he was already close to the point that I was at when I was in my prime. You may have given him physical strength, but I gave him something better."

"And what would that be?" the woman asked indignantly? "If I do accept your claim that I abandoned him, then that taught him that nothing can last forever, so what did you give him that is better than that?"

Bruce stayed silent for a beat before answering. "I gave him the strength to be something greater. I showed him how to push himself to the limit and then break that limit." Here, Bruce started to walk forward until he was just a few inches away from the woman. "I taught him how to be more than a man, and in doing so he has become something else entirely."

"And what would that be?"

Again, Bruce paused. "Legend." Bruce let that word sink in before continuing. "Daniel has become everything I pushed myself to be and more. He has become the hero that the world doesn't deserve, but the one that it needs. They deserve a hero that will slack off and do his own thing. They deserve a hero that will help the bad guys on the side. But that's not what he is. Daniel will give the world the hero that they need; a hero that will never compromise, a hero that will never give up or give into the odds that are stacked up against him. You want to know why I gave him my blessing to marry Carmelita. It's because what you did to him drove him to become everything he needed to be to ensure that no one would ever abandon him again. And if anybody tried to take away someone he cared about, he would have the strength to keep them close."

Bruce just stared at the woman, letting her think about the words he had spoken. "Bruce," she finally said, "will you please talk to him?"

Bruce shook his head. "No. My words will do nothing to change his mind. If you really want to be his mother, then show it. Don't just show up on his wedding and offer him a honeymoon to a place he swore he would never set foot on again. Do you want to know what that offer says to him? It says, 'I don't want to put any effort into being your mother, but I feel guilty for what happened, so come to me so that I can pretend I'm doing a good job so that I can make myself feel better'. Honestly, I'm on his side this time. If you really want to be his mother, then take him aside when his honeymoon is over, and ask him what it will take for you to be that for him, then do it. Don't just do a few things and call it effort, put everything you are into being that for him."

Bruce turned away and started to walk, but he felt the woman's slender hand grab his arm. "Bruce, please," she pleaded.

"No, Diana. I'm not getting in the middle of this any more. This is on you." With that, Bruce walked off to join the rest of the festivities.


End file.
